As you look through Netflix, you’ve probably seen the movie, Don’t Look Up appear on your screen as it has been on Netflix Canada’s Top 10 List for a while. With its star-studded cast and intriguing plot, the movie has captured the attention of millions of people. At first, it may seem like a satire about politics and climate change, but aside from the comedy, it reveals some darker secrets about society that some are scared to acknowledge.
*Spoilers*
The Line Between Climate Change and Politics:
A lot of us have been hearing about climate change online and at school. It has become one of the most important and controversial topics of the decade. Therefore, it is sometimes hard to distinguish where the line is drawn between climate change and politics. In the movie, there are two scientists, Randall Mindy and Kate Dibiasky, who have discovered there is a comet approaching Earth that will destroy human civilization. After this discovery, both scientists present their findings to the White House. However, when the duo is showing their concerns, they are met with a President and government staff who are more worried about the media and their image rather than the threat the comet poses to civilization.
As you can see, the movie highlights some of the negative sides of politics that involve some politicians being more concerned about how the public will perceive them rather than focusing on more important issues at hand. Thus, it reflects how at times, the government chooses to ignore or sets aside certain matters that many advocates fight for. In this case, the topic of concern is climate change. With that in mind, this can be frustrating, and this is also depicted in the movie when Kate Dibiasky lashes out at tv reporters and the President for not caring enough. Even today, many of us feel like the government is not doing enough for climate change. This will always remain a part of society, especially when the world leaders we look up to and rely on start to lose our trust. As seen in Don’t Look Up, when politics becomes riddled with dishonesty, scandals, and rivalries, it becomes difficult to keep our attention away from the media and on global issues.
The Media’s Influence?
In today’s society, our actions and thoughts are influenced by celebrities, movies, and media outlets to some extent. In Don’t Look Up, in an effort to increase awareness about the comet, Randell Mindy and Kate Dibiasky go to a morning talk show. However, while on the show, the hosts start to make jokes about the serious situation and more attention is put towards Mindy’s appearance. To some degree, this also mirrors the way aspects of our society work. I have often noticed that certain media outlets have hosts that make light out of serious situations and share their personal opinions rather than facts people deserve to know. In hindsight, this may provide short term comedic relief and boost show ratings, but it also creates a sense of anxiety for many in times of uncertainty. Furthermore, in the movie, during the segment about climate change and the comet, the show’s engagement was shown to have dropped. Hence, many people decided to leave for the scientific portion of the show. In this case, the director may have been trying to show that people look more towards entertainment and drama; rather than scientific articles or news about world issues since that brings sadness and stress. This is just part of human nature, and it is unavoidable. However, it brings up another issue which is: who do you trust in moments of difficulties?
Who Do You Trust?
Do people look to social media, TV hosts, news broadcasts, or their favorite celebrities for news? In today’s age, the news we get is not just from news broadcasts, many of us also get insight from celebrities, and some people prefer that more than traditional media. As shown in Don’t Look Up, people tuned into a morning tv show to get information about the day. But at that point, many ignored any news about the comet. Later on, in the movie, when a prominent celebrity posted about the dangers of the comet, more people got engaged and concerned. Once again, this shows the power of influential people and those we put our trust in.
The Power of Technology:
In the movie, one of the White House’s main strategies to deflect the comet away from Earth was using large drones designed by a technology company known as BASH. Previously, BASH mainly worked with software and cell phone production. However, they then use their technology to come up with a mission that will break the comet into smaller pieces, allowing them to harness resources from the comet worth $32 trillion. As you can see, the motives behind BASH’s role in this mission is primarily profit-based. Being part of such a big mission will act as a promotion for their company, and they will be able to harness many natural resources, which will help them gain support from large businesses. Our society is vastly based on the “profit motive,” and is controlled by large businesses that produce technology and other services. Therefore, the actions these companies take are related to what will economically benefit them and raise their stocks in the long run. This is where it becomes evident what society values more; economic profit or the well-being of the planet. Both of these topics go hand in hand as the well-being of the planet is needed for resources to continue economic adventures. But in Don’t Look Up, the greed humans have for money outweighed scientific concerns as BASH was employed to carry out the mission with their rockets and technology. Unfortunately, due to a lack of knowledge about the full extent of the comet’s dangers, the BASH mission fails. This leaves the comet coming straight towards Earth. In the end, technology has the power to give us hope and enable us to embark on difficult missions, but too much trust can also lead to our downfall. In this case, the idea is not just about the effects of technology on humans but also the level of influence larger technology companies have on ordinary people. Hence, the series of events that play out in the movie allows us to understand that our fate cannot be kept in technology’s hands.
“What do these trillions of dollars matter if we’re all going to die with the impact of this comet?” ~ Randell Mindy
Comments on Human Condition
Towards the end of the movie, both Mindy and Dibiasky decide to reunite with loved ones. The characters depicted the value of relationships in their life by mending broken relationships one last time. In moments of need, people look back to those that have supported them and brought them happiness. Additionally, Mindy’s family, Dibiasky, and other characters all gathered around a dinner table and discussed memories. Through this scene, the director showed the value a simple dinner can have on one’s life. The characters could have done anything before the world was ending, but they chose to have dinner because that is what brings people together. At the same time, ideas about religion were expressed. Many people around the world look towards religion when losing hope. Therefore, it felt fitting that the characters finished off their dinner with a prayer and held hands to show unity, especially when the world was quite literally falling apart.
Don’t Look Up
Don’t Look Up is not only the movie’s name but one of the main catchphrases. In the movie, the president uses it to take peoples attention away from the crisis approaching them. Through this phrase, people are shown to become divided due to varying political and scientific beliefs. On one hand, some people do not wish to acknowledge the comet as their opinions are fueled by myths spread by the government. On the other, there are Mindy and Dibiasky who feel as if no one else cares about the world ending. With that in mind, the title “ Don’t Look Up” is a metaphor for climate change. The movie’s message is that if we do not look around us now and see the damage our actions have caused, it will be too late to fix them. In the movie, the politicians advise people to sit back and not worry about the comet, just as some have led us to believe about climate change. But, sitting and waiting will not make problems such as this go away as it is important to act quickly and efficiently. At the end of the movie, the comet eventually approaches Earth and destroys civilization. The final message is that our actions have the power to decide our fate. Therefore, we either act now or don’t look up at all.
